Webcast: Cardiac blues and depression post heart event

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In collaboration with the Australian Centre for Heart Health, the Heart Foundation hosted a live webcast which offered health professionals a rare opportunity to learn more of the psychological and emotional challenges of a heart event and strategies to screen, educate and refer appropriately.

Sadly, the prevalence of depression is high in patients who have experienced a heart event and the majority of heart attack and heart surgery survivors will experience the emotional rollercoaster that is the ‘cardiac blues’.

Watch the webcast to hear from experts in their fields on what you can do to support your patients who are coming to terms with the psychological and emotional challenges of a heart event. You will also learn how vital screening for depression is at critical stages of the inpatient and outpatient journey. Discover simple and time efficient tools that can facilitate this conversation and depression screening.

The panel:

Dr Barbara Murphy is an Honorary Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Deakin University and Honorary Senior Fellow in the Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne. Dr Murphy has over 25 years’ experience in psychosocial and behavioural research, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Dr Rosemary Higgins is a cardiac health psychologist and Honorary Associate Professor, Faculty of Health, Deakin University and Honorary Senior Fellow, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne.

The format is easy to understand and practical, with an emphasis on community care. All health professionals are invited to watch, including nurses, general practitioners, junior doctors, pharmacists and nurses.

Interested in more?

The Heart Foundation also held a webcast on improving diagnosis and care for heart failure patients. This webcast included a panel discussion with the expert authors of the new guidelines for the prevention, detection and management of heart failure in Australia 2018.